Editing: Cuts & Transitions 101

The art of editing should go unnoticed to your audience. Of all the quiet talent that goes into the making of a film, the editor is arguably the most important and under-appreciated. The editor's job is to be invisible—or, rather, subconscious. The editor needs to get inside your head and make you feel something without realising why.
FIRST - assess your current knowledge with THIS quiz.

SECOND - watch this film and learn the terminology.

Glossary of Cuts

  • Cutting on action (cutting while there is movement on-screen)
  • Cutaway (cutting to an insert shot and then back)
  • Cross-cutting (back and forth between locations, ex: phone call)
  • Jump cuts (disjointed edits in the same shot or action)
  • Match cut (cut from one shot to a similar shot by either matching the action or composition)


Glossary of Transitions

  • Fade in/out (to/from black)
  • Dissolve (blend shots)
  • Smash cut (abrupt transition)
  • Iris (old-fashioned; circle that opens and closes in camera)
  • Wipes (screen wipes from one side to the other)
  • Invisible cuts (impression of a single take)
  • L-cut (audio transition)
  • J-cut (audio of the next scene starts before you get to it)
THIRD - take this QUIZ to assess your knowledge now.


FOURTH - review these examples.

FIFTH - create a video showcasing FIVE examples of your own:

1. Chose five edits/transitions
2. Find examples from films
3. Edit them together into one film
4. Include a clear title
5. Indicate the name of the edit along with the film (dir. year) before each one
6. Include end credits
7. Upload to YouTube
8. Share on your blog with a post about your learning and the edits you might use in your coursework
Subpages (2): Editing 2 Editing - Part 1